Jim Van Gelderen: Welcome to the Thee Generation Podcast. This is Jim Van Gelderen and I am podcasting from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and I am at the Open Door Baptist Church where I stop by to visit Donnie Thomas, who’s an assistant pastor here. And one of the reasons I stopped by was to catch up with him.

It’s been quite a few years. Uh, but, uh, God did something in Donnie’s heart several years ago. I think we were comparing notes.

I think it’s nineteen ninety four, in the spring of the year when we did our very first pilot of the War of Special Forces. Many of you are familiar with the War of Special Forces, which is conducted in Christian schools. Well, the very first one is right on the piece of real estate that we are recording in right now, Open Door Baptist Church.

Uh, Donnie, why don’t you tell us a little bit about how you got to this Christian school and your spiritual condition when you came here? Yeah. Growing up, my best friends came to this school.

Uh, they lived right up the street from me. And so every time I came here to watch sporting events, I saw a difference in their life. And I’m like, that’s something that I want.

And so my sophomore year in high school, I transferred here to the school. And I knew how to be a good kid. I knew how not to act up in class.

Not that I was perfect because I wasn’t got in trouble sometimes, but I grew up in a Methodist church where I was taught all the time. Well, if your good works outweigh your bad works, that’ll get you to heaven. And so when I came here, I just kind of played the game.

If you want to just put on a show for everybody. Um, but I knew that I wasn’t saved. And so the Special Forces War came here, it was a Sunday night and we were over in the gymnasium and you actually preached.

And then Dalton, I think it was, got up and shared his testimony. And, uh, that’s when I realized I’m not saved. I’m just putting on a show.

And I actually did not respond during the invitation time. Uh, I kind of ignored God. And when I got up to, to leave, I know the Lord just stopped me in my tracks.

And I turned around, went up and said to Dalton, I said, listen, I don’t know Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I’m not saved. And so he took me aside.

And in the corner of the gymnasium outside the athletic office, I knelt, repented of my sins, and I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. And I just rejoice and very, very thankful for what God has done. Was a year later in chapel that God called me into full time ministry.

And, uh, my senior year, you actually came back and did another ministry. And I was just able to you guys just continued to encourage me in my walk. And I praise the Lord for that ministry, for your ministry and, and how God used it.

I praise the Lord for Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon Christian Academy. And, uh, I’m excited to be serving the Lord. There’s no greater joy to to serve the Lord.

Um, for sixteen years I wasn’t saved. I knew what the world was like. And, and it’s if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, I encourage you to talk to somebody about that and whoever’s listening and, and know for sure that you have a home in heaven and get saved.

Amen. It’s the best decision you’ll ever make. That’s wonderful.

Now, Brother Donnie, I know you’re telling me you’ve had several different things you’ve done in Christian work. I mean, you have, uh, you’ve done. Well, go ahead and tell the audience some of the things you’ve done.

You’ve been a pastor, but you’ve also done some other things. Yeah, I’ve served as a youth pastor. Um, then the Lord gave me the opportunity to come back here to Open Door Baptist Church, where I served as an assistant pastor, slash athletic director, taught Bible class, taught P.E.

class. Uh, the Lord.